HI: Waianae pig hunter pleads no contest to animal cruelty

A Waianae pig hunter pled no contest to three counts of animal
cruelty Wednesday.

Franklin dela Cruz was shown in a video
posted on Facebook, training his dogs to attack a pig that was
enclosed in a pen.

Described by animal rights groups as
horrific and amounting to torture, the video shows two dogs going
after the pig while men as well as teenaged boys cheer the dogs on.

The video eventually led prosecutors to investigate, and
Franklin dela Cruz was charged with three counts of misdemeanor
animal cruelty.

In court Wednesday, dela Cruz pleaded no
contest and was sentenced to pay a fine of $200 and 75 hours of
community service. He's also prohibited from owning or training any
dogs for a year. The dogs were confiscated,and have since been
adopted.

"We've adopted them out and the dogs are now living
as companion animals and part of the family and not being used for
hunting," said Vaughn.

As for the teenagers involved,
because they are underage, charges have been referred to family
court, which are confidential.

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